As a successful entrepreneur or even as a new or entrepreneur starting out, one of the biggest doubts and fears that creeps in is this ominous question… “But what if I fail?”
It may come up when you start an entire new business, or even simply when you launch a new product or idea in your current biz.
It doesn’t really matter what it is— typically with any new endeavor or idea, our minds are programmed to scan and seek for danger and it crops up either consciously or unconsciously with those 5 words of death— BUT WHAT IF I FAIL?!?!?!
There really is no way around this one — it is what it is. You have to face it. You have to look your fears straight in the eye and face them one by one… and let’s be honest, even when you do that, they still sometimes don’t even go away.
So then why would you even want to face them if they don’t go away?
The biggest reason is to first, gain self awareness of your patterns and the biggest things that you are afraid of.
Let’s say you play the tape alllll the way forward and you DO fail…. What does that look like? What does that even MEAN to fail? Have you ever really thought about it?
Most people I coach and talk to have a different meaning of failure anyways. What one person’s bottom is— another person could handle and be totally okay with, so it is definitely subjective in nature.
The definitions of failure are as follows: “The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends”; “One that fails”; or “The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short.”
By the very definition — you first do have to define the desired end or ends in order to begin. But let’s say you have an income goal or a goal to grow your business to xx level…
You could put an end date on there and tell yourself that you want to achieve xx goal in xx specific time frame, right?
Then by definition if you didn’t achieve it you would technically be a “failure”, right?
But what if the world didn’t work like that?
What if God didn’t ordain you getting those specific results within that certain timeframe that you with your limited human mind set for yourself? Then what?
Are you just going to give up and throw in the towel and call yourself a failure?
No, being the badass boss that you are you are going to pick yourself up, dust yourself back off and just.keep.going.
I mean as much as I can ask God and pray for the things I want, let go of the outcome and then work really hard to achieve them— it doesn’t actually mean I am going to be able to achieve them.
That is just the reality that life is.
I’m not going to paint an unrealistic picture here that it is all rainbows and magic and unicorns and say that all you have to do is “believe and make it happen!” Like some life coaches do – and many of these teachings tell you to do things that are against the very nature of how God works, or promise unrealistic outcomes when actually the skill set or experience just isn’t there yet.
However that doesn’t mean that I am going to stop setting goals, stop visioning out what I want for my life and stop going after my dreams.
After getting out of the New Age and recovering from the negative effects it had on me, I was saved by Jesus Christ and became a Christian. It has absolutely transformed my life in miraculous ways and God has literally demonstrated miracle after miracle !! It is amazing— more to come on this later.
However — I have definitely been torn on how these future-focused practices and mindset work fits in with my new lifestyle of being a Christian and walking with God.
After all— God is sovereign over all things, He is in control and knows all things, and ultimately brings me what is for me and moves me away from what is not for me.
So you would think that all mindset work and goal setting exercises would be in vain then — since God is in control.. however I am finding that this is not the case.
God has got my back — AND we also have to take ownership over our life and the results that we want in our life.
We DO have free will.
God could put the best of opportunities in our lap — and if we don’t DO THE WORK to make it happen, it would NOT work out for us.
So to tie all of this together — you are on your path right now, something new is happening in your life and business and you are fearful of failing, right??
Well the first question to ask yourself is, “Did God bring this into my life?”
If the answer is no — well then stop immediately and do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Lol.
If it is not ordained by God— chances are, it will not end well. You may be attached to something other than wanting to bring ultimate glory to God, seeking money, fame, fortune, worshipping idols or material things; you are putting these things before God. If this is the case then you.will.fail. Period hard stop.
But if it IS — then yes let us proceed!
Secondly, are you willing to go all in and back yourself on this? If God is backing you on this, are you willing to go all in and commit to the full 100% expression of bringing this thing into creative reality?
Are you willing to put in the time, energy, and effort that it will take to create this, possibly having to sacrifice things along the way — including your fears, your doubts, your second guessing yourself including the naysayers who will also tell you that it can’t be done, or your idea is stupid, or you should do it a different way??
Awesome— there must be an energetic commitment from you — where you feel yourself going all in and committing to it, and if there’s NOT, then it’s either not meant for you, or you should make some tweaks or changes to it in order to make it feel just right. In alignment with the direction you’re going and what you’re feeling called to create.
Third and final question to ask is — are you willing to keep going all the way through, even if you fail??
Because here’s the thing… not everything will “succeed” in the way you think it “should.”
I’ve launched products and programs in the past that have been a total FLOP… i.e. no one has bought them, they have landed flat with my audience but ultimately I have LEARNED from them and grown from those experiences… meaning they really weren’t a “success” in the traditional sense but I got what I needed from them. Every single time.
Each thing that God has placed in my life He has done so for a reason.
Sometimes I’ve had those experiences in order to humble me.
And boy have they been humbling!! And I’ve also had massive success where God has totally blessed me with the ultimate of blessings— abundance of clients and money and powerful ideas for courses, blogs, videos, and more in order to be able to expand my influence and ultimately help and reach more people.
You have to be willing to take it all the way through to completion taking every action that is in alignment EVEN IF IT FAILS.
Even if you don’t sell anything.
Even if you sell out and get crazy busy and you get super overwhelmed and your schedule goes bonkers and you have to figure out a way to make it all work.
But here’s the thing for me… but what if I fail usually points to one thing: MONEY.
The scariest voice that I hear in my head before I launch or start new endeavors is: “But what if I fail and don’t make any money from this.”
Maybe you’re thinking the same thing too, and let’s finish on this note—
Let’s play the tape all the way through.
First we have to establish that you’re doing this work because this is your soul work and you’re doing this work because you CAN’T NOT and this is what your SOUL is CALLING you to do.
We have to also establish that you would do this work EVEN IF YOU DIDN’T MAKE A SINGLE DOLLAR FROM IT.
Would you be okay with that? What if for the rest of your life you continued to do this work but you never made a cent from it?
I don’t know about you, but that is a hard pill to swallow.
Of course I want to make money from my soul work.
But more than that— I want to help people with the work that I do.
My writing, my speaking, my coaching, my courses — all of that is an extension of who I am and how I’m meant to help and serve others here on earth.
If God has not meant for me to earn an income doing that— then so be it.
He will provide other means of income for me — and I will pursue those alongside doing this work.
However— I am also RELENTLESS.
Relentless in the fact that I don’t give up, and if something is not working and I’m not making money from it, I will try, try, try until I DO find something that works.
That I am sure of.
Are you willing to keep showing up each day until it starts working for you?
Until you finally develop your message and reach the right people to where it lands and you finally launch the thing that helps exactly who you’re meant to help?
When I first launched my coaching business over 11 years now, I knew that if all I did was show up, share my message and make offers— that eventually someone would say YES.
It took a few months, but eventually they did!
Sometimes it can seem more complicated than that, but the formula is quite simple:
Show up.
Share your message.
Make offers.
Repeat. Daily.
If you just do that— you can’t NOT fail.
Unleashing from deep within you, being vulnerable and showing the world who you are is really more about you anyways than it is about them— and you will find that when you do that, this is actually what draws your soulmate clients to you faster than ever before.
If you can do this— you won’t be an overnight success, but success will come naturally as a result of God working in your life as you share your message helping and serving others.
And if you need any help with this or need me to kick your butt!! I am here.
In love & success,
xo Lauren